News for Restaurants in Orange County, CA January 2014 Archive

Eureka!, the small California-based chain that specializes in hand-packed burgers and artisanal beverages, is coming to Orange County. The venue is slated to open in Huntington Beach’s Bella Terra shopping center in March. In addition to burgers, the restaurant will feature kicked up American cuisine and a beverage program that will emphasize American craft beers, small-batch whiskeys and specialty cocktails. For more information, visit www.eurekarestaurantgroup.com. Lunch & Dinner daily. Eureka!, Bella Terra, 7631 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach, CA 92647, no phone.

Sunday Suppers at Lucca CafeLucca Cafe in Irvine hosts a special mid-afternoon Sunday Supper designed to replicate the feel and ambiance of a traditional family dinner on the second Sunday of the month. Executive chef/owner Cathy Pavlos rolls out a four-course menu, with a monthly changing theme focusing on a Mediterranean country, an intriguing European region, or the food of a renowned chef. This meal is augmented by rare and unique wines, as well as other edible surprises. Pricing is per person, and varies from month to month. Lucca Cafe, Quail Hill Village Center, 6507 Quail Hill Pkwy., Irvine, CA 92603, 949-725-1773.

OC Cocktail Week Makes Debut in March The first ever edition of OC Cocktail Week is coming to Orange County March 2-8, 2014. Chefs and mixologists from several dozen area restaurants will be working together to celebrate the mixed drink by creating special pairings of craft cocktails, appetizers and small bites, all priced at $20.14. Select restaurants slated to participate include 320 Main, HopScotch, Little Sparrow, Red O and Scott’s Restaurant and Bar. For more information, visit www.occocktailweek.com

Chef
Shuffle

Ways & Means Oyster House in Old Town Orange has a new tandem team of executive chefs in the kitchen. Benjamin Wallenbeck and Justin Odegard, who honed their crafts separately in Orange County venues like A Restaurant and AnQi Gourmet Bistro by Crustacean, join forces to oversee a menu dominated by sustainably caught seafood and seasonal ingredients. Ways & Means Oyster House, 513 E. Chapman Ave., Orange, CA 92866, 714-516-1800.

Opah, a longtime fixture in the sprawling Irvine Marketplace, has shut its doors. Its last day of business was New Year’s Eve. No reason for its shuttering was given, and there have been no announcement for a new restaurant to occupy the now-vacant space. Opah, The Marketplace, 13122 Jamboree Rd., Irvine, CA 92602, no phone.

Brasserie Pascal has closed its doors. The Fashion Island restaurant, which was named in part after its restaurateur and chef Pascal Olhats, had been in operation since 2009. There was no reason given for its shuttering. A replacement venue for the space has yet to be announced. Brasserie Pascal, Fashion Island, 327 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, CA 92660, no phone.